


Don't Leave Your Brother Around Gabriel Novak

by Ashtiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, High School AU, M/M, Pranks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-27
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-02 18:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1060340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashtiel/pseuds/Ashtiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dean dragged Sam to the Novak house, he never expected him to get along so well with Gabriel. Now he regrets bringing Sam into the Novak household at all. </p><p>OR</p><p>When Sam is forced to spend his afternoons at the Novak house so Dean can study with Castiel, he meets Gabriel, self-proclaimed Trickster, and together they come up with a plan to get revenge for all Sam's lost time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't Fight With Your Brother

“Dean, I’m not a little kid anymore. It’s not going to hurt to let me stay home alone,” Sam said.

“Not an option. You know what Dad did last time I left you alone,” Dean said. He crossed his arms over his chest and glanced up at the ancient clock on the wall. “Come on, Sammy. We’re going to be late.

“I don’t want to go on your date!”

Dean frowned. “It’s not a date. Cas promised to help me study for my algebra test.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Study,” he said under his breath.

“If you don’t get in the car in the nest five minutes, I’m going to drag you out of the house.”

Sam glared up at his older brother defiantly, but Dean returned the glare without batting an eye. “Fine!” Sam said. “But we better be back by six. I don’t want to stay longer than I have to.”

“Sure, whatever. Let’s go,” Dean said. Sam grabbed a book off his night stand and reluctantly followed Dean out the door.

Calling the Novak house big would be like calling the ocean a little wet. It was one of the biggest houses in Lawrence. The head of the Novak household, Chuck Novak, was some kind of writer, and even though Sam had never read any of his books, they must’ve been successful somewhere. The perfectly manicured front yard was bigger than the Winchester’s entire property. Dean didn’t seem to have a problem walking into the immaculate household, but Sam felt more than a little out of place. Like if he touched something or stepped in the wrong place the entire house would fall down around him. “I’m going to stay in the car,” Sam said when Dean parked the Impala.

“Kinda defeats the purpose of bringing you here, doesn’t it?” Dean said as he took the keys out of the ignition and slipped them into his pocket. “You’re coming inside.”

“I don’t want to. None of the Novaks like me. Just let me sit out here and read. You’ve already dragged me this far.”

Dean sighed and looked up at the house. “No,” he said. “You can make some friends. There are plenty of kids to talk to. Now come on.” He didn’t wait for Sam’s reply; he climbed out of the car, but he made sure Sam was following him before he walked up to the front door.

The Novak’s front porch was bigger than the Winchester’s living room and bedrooms combined. Dean walked up to the front door like he owned the place and knocked, loudly, three times. The door opened a few seconds later, and a middle aged woman peeked out of the crack. Sam remembered her from the few times Dean had dragged him over before, but he couldn’t recall her name for his life. Luckily, Dean did. “Hello Becky. Is Cas home?” he asked in the polite tone he reserved for grown-ups.

Becky grinned and held the door open for them. “Of course he is. He’s been talking about you since he got home. He told me not to embarrass him. Can you believe it? Like I could ever embarrass him,” she said with an exaggerated eye roll. “Come on in.” Dean thanked her and walked into the house, but when Sam tried to follow him Becky practically attacked him. “Sam! Good to see you too!” she said as she grabbed Sam and wrapped him in a hug.

Sam stiffened, but Becky hugged him until she was content. “Good to see you too, Mrs. Novak,” Sam said when he could breathe again.

“Oh, don’t call me that, it makes me feel so old!” Becky said. “Are you growing again? I swear, every time I see you you’re an inch taller. You might pass Dean someday.”

Dean chuckled. “He can dream. We better get going, Becky. Cas was expecting me half an hour ago.”

Despite the teasing, Sam silently thanked Dean. He’d rather sit in the hallway than talk to Becky any day. “Of course, of course,” Becky said. “If you need anything just call. You remember where Castiel’s bedroom is?”

“Upstairs, third door on the left,” Dean said.

Becky smiled. “Study hard!” she said, then she made a shooing motion toward them. Dean took off for the stairs, leaving Sam to follow as quickly as he could.

By the time Sam reached the top of the stairs, Dean was already knocking on Castiel’s door. The door swung inward, and Castiel stepped out into the hallway. He looked the same as he always did: messy black hair, over-sized hoodie, and slightly tired smile. “Dean,” he said. His voice was always a little husky, like he’d just woken up from a long nap. “And Sam. Hello.”

“Hey Cas,” Dean said with a smile of his own. Sam just waved.

“Come in,” Castiel said.

“This shouldn’t take more than an hour or so,” Dean said before he disappeared into Castiel’s room.

Castiel nodded. “Feel free to look around,” he said. “It was nice to see you again, Sam.”

“Nice to see you too, Castiel,” Sam said. Castiel smiled again, and shut the door behind himself. Sam sighed and took a seat on the floor with his back to the wall opposite of Castiel’s room. He cracked open his book and started to read.

Sam only read two pages before he heard another door open. He looked up, only to see an unfamiliar boy. He definitely had some of the Novak features, blonde hair and green-gold eyes, but Sam couldn’t put a name to the face. “Woah,” the boy said when he spotted Sam. “Who’re you?”

“Sam Winchester,” Sam said. “I’m Castiel’s friend’s brother.”

“Okay, Castiel’s friend’s brother, what are you doing in the middle of the hallway?”

“Dean and Castiel are studying in Castiel’s room, so I’m reading while I wait for them to finish.”

“Wait, Dean Winchester? Cassie’s boyfriend?” the boy asked.

“I-I don’t think they’re dating.”

“Pretty damn close,” the boy said with a grin. When he smiled it made his entire face light up. “I’m Gabriel, by the way. Second oldest Novak kid.” He held a hand out to Sam, and Sam shook it. “So, if Cassie and your brother are in there, why are you sitting out here? I’m sure you have free reign of the house. Cassie isn’t that rude.”

“I, uh, don’t mind sitting out here,” Sam said. He gripped his book a little tighter. “It’s usually pretty quiet, so I can read.”

“Oh my god. Just what this house needs. Another nerd,” Gabriel said. “Well, if you’re intent on reading, at least you can be comfortable while you do it. I’m about to head out, so you could use my room if you want to. It’s pretty quiet, and I have an awesome beanbag,” Gabriel said. He looked down at Sam’s face and sighed before Sam could say a word. “Wait, let me guess. You’re too polite to say yes. Bull. Come on, I’m not going to let you go home thinking all of the Novaks are rude.” Gabriel held out his hand to help him up, and Sam reluctantly took it. When Sam was on his feet, Gabriel walked back into his room. Sam bit his lip, but followed.

Gabriel’s room was easily three times the size of Sam’s, but the size didn’t make it intimidating. The room was filled with seemingly-random bits of junk: a plastic yellow horn here, a collection of candy wrappers there, and the walls were plastered with posters. Sam didn’t recognize most of the names or designs, a lot of them sounded like obscure rock bands, but there were a few old movie posters he managed to place. “Beanbag’s right here. Make yourself comfortable. There’s a few books on the shelf over there, but,” Gabriel paused to smirk at the cover of Sam’s book, “I don’t think you’d be interested in them. They’re probably too fun for you, Mr. Future Lawyer.”

Sam’s cheeks turned pink. “Thanks,” he said.

“No problem, kiddo. I’ll be back in a few hour, but you’ll probably be gone by then. Don’t dig around in my underwear drawer,” Gabriel said. Sam’s face was starting to steer toward red, but Gabriel just winked and slipped out the door.

An hour passed, and it was getting increasingly harder and harder for Sam’s to focus on his dry book. It seemed like everything in the room was vying for his attention, but the thing he wanted to examine the most was a huge, dark bookshelf without an inch of empty space left on any of the shelves. Finally, he couldn’t resist anymore, so he carefully marked his page, set his book aside, and walked over to the massive piece of furniture.

At the first glance the shelves looked like they’d been filled without giving a thought to order, but if you looked a little closer you could see a method to the madness. The bottom shelf was devoted to hundreds upon hundred of movies. A few were stacked vertically, but the vast majority were stacked atop one another horizontally. There were too many movies to watch in a lifetime. The next shelf held a music collection that could rival most music stores. Many of the albums and CDs, like the movies, were stacked horizontally, but a few CD cases on the ends were vertical. The topmost shelf actually held a few books. Unlike the movies and music, the books were only over a few subjects. Sam spotted a few on pranking, and, strangely, almost a dozen on myths and weird legends. The shelves were dusty, but the books looked well loved. He was about to pull one of them down to leaf through it when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He was back in the beanbag chair in seconds.

Sam wasn’t interested in snooping after his scare, so he tried to bury himself in laws and loopholes to pass the time. Instead, he ended up dozing off. He didn’t even notice Gabriel come back into the room until he started to talk. “Are you still here?” he asked.

Sam jerked awake. “W-what?” he said.

“I was just surprised you were still here,” Gabriel said.

“I can leave-”

“No, you’re fine. I just thought you’d be home by now. It’s,” Gabriel looked down at his dark blue watch, “almost six forty-five.”

“It doesn’t usually take this long,” Sam said. He did his best to muffle a yawn.

“I’d hope not. I already felt bad for you,” Gabriel said. He shrugged off his artfully-ripped jacket and tossed it over something that resembled a chair. Sam couldn’t tell what it was for sure, because it was completely covered in clothes. “Doesn’t this bother you?”

Sam shrugged. “I’m getting used to it.”

“I live here, and I’m not used to it,” Gabriel said. He sat on the end of his unmade bed and tucked his bare feet under the sheets.

Sam shrugged again. He wasn’t sure what Gabriel wanted him to say. “I can’t do anything about it.”

“Aren’t you old enough to stay home alone? What are you? Fifteen?”

Sam nodded. “Dad doesn’t like us to stay home alone, and Dean doesn’t like to disobey him.”

“Kinda sounds like a dick,” Gabriel said. “No offense.” Sam had to smile; he’d hit the nail on the head. Gabriel smiled back until he saw the book in Sam’s hands. “Are you still reading that? Oh my god. I’m two years older than you, and I think I’d kill myself if I had to touch it. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” Sam said. “I want to have a good job someday.”

“I couldn’t stand having a job that boring. I’ll probably travel or work on radio show or something. I couldn’t work somewhere where you do the same thing every day,” Gabriel said.

Sam nodded. He couldn’t picture Gabriel behind a desk with a suit and tie, anyway. “But you don’t know what you’re going to do for sure?”

“Nah. Why decide now? I have the rest of my life to figure out how I’m going to eat and pay bills. I’m just going to mooch of my parents for now. What about you? Why a lawyer?” Gabriel asked. Sam shrugged. He was getting tired of shrugging, but it was easier to shrug than it was to talk. “Come on,” Gabriel said. “There has to be-”

“Sam!” Dean called from the hallway. “Sam? Where are you? We have to go!”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Now he wants to leave,” he said.

Sam smiled. “Thanks for letting me into your room.”

“No problem. Feel free to come in here even when I’m not home. I can’t stand the thought of you sitting in the hallway when I have a perfectly good beanbag in here.”

“Thanks,” Sam said again. Gabriel just chuckled at him and motioned toward the door. Sam slipped out as quietly as he could, but Dean heard Gabriel’d bedroom door shut behind him.

“Where have you been?” Dean asked.

“In Gabriel’s room. He’s Castiel’s older brother. He offered me a beanbag so I wouldn’t have to sit on the floor,” Sam said. Dean looked at him suspiciously, but he couldn’t say anything; he’d spent the last few hours in a boy’s room too.

“Come on,” Dean said. “Dad’s going to be home any minute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this fic. I have all five written, but I still need to edit the other four before I can post them. The next chapter should be up in a day or two. If you spot any errors or have any constructive criticism, feel free to leave a comment. Have a lovely day!


	2. Don't Drag Your Brother to the Novak's House

Dean seemed to need more help with his homework than a normal person. One (very long) study session wasn’t enough, so he dragged Sam back to the Novak’s house the next day right after school. Sam barely had time to grab a book, let alone argue, before he found himself in the passenger seat of the Impala.

Becky greeted them at the door with a huge smile. “Hello!” she said. “Castiel said you’d be coming back today, so I made some cookies.”

Dean frowned. “You didn’t have to-”

“Of course I did!” Becky said. “Castiel doesn’t have very many friends like you, Dean. I want to make sure you feel comfortable here. Why don’t you follow me to the kitchen?” Then, without waiting for an answer, Becky took off.

“Do you think she’d notice if we snuck upstairs?” Dean asked.

“Probably,” Sam said.

“You’re right,” Dean said. He sighed and followed the sound of Becky’s footsteps and Sam was forced to do the same.

The kitchen was, like the rest of the house, enormous. All the appliances were stainless steel and the counter tops were marble. The only downside was the smell. Sam assumed it was coming from the pile of smoldering cookies on the counter beside Becky. He did his best to breathe through his mouth, and, by the face Dean was making, Sam assumed he was doing the same. The only one unaffected was Becky. “Here we go,” she said. “You can take them up to Castiel’s room for your study session.”

“Uh, thanks Becky,” Dean said. His eyes were starting to water.

“Do you boys think you’ll want milk?”

“I think we’ll be fine,” Dean said.

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t want to risk spilling in it Cas’ room. If we need some, we’ll come down and get it.”

Becky smiled adoringly at Dean. “You’re such a good boy. So responsible!” She handed the entire plate of burnt cookies to Dean. “Grab a few if you want them, Sam. Call if you need anything. I’ll be in the study with Chuck.” Dean nodded, thanked her again, and practically ran out of the room.

“You’re not going to eat those, are you?” Sam asked as he followed Dean up the stairs to the second floor of the house.

“God no. You think the little kids will take them?” Dean said.

“Maybe. They might be used to them.”

“Poor kids,” Dean said. “Here, take them. I don’t want to bring them into Cas’ room.”

“What? No! What am I supposed to do with them?”

“Try and give them out to the kids, and if that doesn’t work, drop them out the window,” Dean said. He shoved the plate into Sam’s arms, ran into Cas’ room, and slammed the door behind himself. Sam heard a surprised “Dean!” through the door, and something about cookies, then Dean and Castiel dropped their voices so Sam couldn’t hear them. With a sigh Sam sat down in his usual spot in the hallway and pushed the cookies an arm-length away from himself. He hoped the smell would draw some of the younger kids, but it drew someone else entirely.

“Oh my god! Has Mom been baking again?” Gabriel yelled through his door. Sam didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet. Gabriel’s bedroom door swung inward, and he stepped out into the hallway. He was wearing light blue pajama pants with yellow ducks on them and a white t-shirt. His eyes widened when he spotted Sam, then he grinned. “I see your brother dragged you along again. Mom must’ve made those for Cassie’s date. Did he leave you with them?” Gabriel asked. Sam nodded. “What a dick,” Gabriel said. “I wouldn’t do that to my worst enemy. Come on, we have a place to dump them.”

“A place to dump them?” Sam repeated.

“Mom bakes a lot, and most of the time it turn out like this,” Gabriel gestured toward the plate of cookies, “so, Dad made a place to dump them so we wouldn’t hurt her feelings. Come on. I’ll show you.”

Sam picked up the plate of disgusting cookies and followed Gabriel down a back staircase that he hadn’t even known existed. There was a door at the bottom of the stairs, and Gabriel held it open for him. The door lead to a backyard that was even bigger than the front yard. There was a wooden play set near the door, and a small aboveground pool behind the play set. An immaculate white fence stretched around the outside of the yard. “This way,” Gabriel said as he took the lead again. He lead Sam to the back corner of the yard, then stopped. “Here it is,” he said. He knelt down and pulled back a green tarp that matched the exact shade of green as the grass around it. Under the tarp there was a hole. Sam couldn’t tell how deep it was, because the bottom was covered in inedible cookies, bread, and other pastries that Sam couldn’t identify. “Just dump them in,” Gabriel said. Sam stepped forward and tipped the plate of cookies into the hole. Most of them fell in, but a few stubbornly clung to the plate. Sam shook it a few times, and the last cookies fell in. It was definitely more satisfying to dump them into a hole than to eat them.

“How do you keep her from finding this?” Sam asked.

“She doesn’t come out here unless she’s chasing one of the younger kids, and none of them come out this far. Dad told them a monster guarded the back fence,” Gabriel said as he stretched the tarp back over the hole and pinned it in place with a few large rocks.

“And they believe it?”

“Dad can be pretty convincing, and they’re young enough to believe anything. When they get older we’ll clue them in. They won’t tell, because they don’t want to eat them either,” Gabriel said. He grinned and stood up. Two of the ducks on his pants were covered in dirt.

Sam shook his head, but he couldn’t keep himself from laughing. What kind of family had a pit in their backyard to hide homemade pastries? Gabriel joined in a moment late, and soon they were both struggling to catch their breath. “Your family is weird,” he said.

“Tell me about it,” Gabriel said. “We’d better go back inside. Mom might spot us out here.” Sam nodded and followed Gabriel back up to his room.

Sam was surprised to see Gabriel’s room was cleaner than the day before. Gabriel didn’t strike Sam as someone who cared about having a straight room, but there were no candy wrappers on the floor, and some of the laundry had been put away. “What book did you bring today?” Gabriel asked, but he snatched it out of Sam’s hand before he could answer. “How many days can you read this without your brain melting?”

“Uh,” Sam said.

Gabriel tossed the book back to him, then walked over to his bookshelf. He stood on his tip-toes, pulled a thick book off the top shelf, and handed it to Sam. “Here,” he said. “Five Hundred and One Great Pranks by Shelby Green. This is my bible, and it’s ten times more interesting than that… thing.” Gabriel glared at the book in Sam’s hands like it’d personally offended him. “I improved a lot of the pranks, but Shelby gave me a place to start. Without her I wouldn’t be the Trickster.”

Sam grinned. “Did you come up with that yourself?”

“Oh my god, he can joke,” Gabriel said. He acted like he couldn’t have been more shocked of Sam told him he was pregnant with triplets. Sam felt a blush creep over his face. “Actually, I didn’t. I heard one of the teachers talking about one of my pranks with the principal, and that’s what she called me. I liked it, so now I use it to tag my pranks.”

“Why tag them?” Sam asked.

“It’s fun to watch everyone to to figure out who The Trickster is. All the teachers hate him, and all the kids want to be him. It’s the perfect recipe for chaos,” Gabriel said. He sat down on the end of his bed with his laptop. “Alright, you’re going to sit down and read, and I’m going to look up some new pranks. The book is a little outdated, and I like to stay on top of things.”

Sam nodded and sat down in the beanbag chair. The book’s spine crackled when he opened the front cover. There was something scrawled under the title on the title page, right by Shelby Green’s name. It was hard to be certain, but Sam guessed the scribble was Gabriel’s signature. He smiled to himself and started to read the book.

The first few pages were full of basic pranks anyone could pull off. Sam even saw a few he’d played in elementary school. After the fifteenth page the book started to get into the good stuff. Where Gabriel’s signature was almost illegible, but handwriting next to the pranks was as clear as day. His notes started to appear on the twentieth page, an extra step here, a readjusted measurement there, but every single note made the pranks at least ten times better. Gabriel was a genius. He didn’t just make improvements like he’d claimed; he took the pranks to a whole new level. He thought he heard a chuckle from across the room, but when he looked up Gabriel was still staring intently at his laptop.

Sam was halfway through the book when Dean started to search for him. “What time is it?” Sam asked.

“Huh,” Gabriel said. “What happened to the time? It’s already six thirty.” He pushed his laptop to the side and popped his back. “You can take that with you, if you want to. I have a feeling you’ll be back before long.”

“Thanks,” Sam said. He marked his place in Gabriel’s book and picked his own up off the floor.

“No problem,” Gabriel said. Dean yelled again, but Gabriel just grinned and rolled his eyes. “You better get out there before your brother decides to break down my door.”

Sam had to smile too, but only because it was a real possibility. “Thanks again. For everything,” he said, then he walked out of the room.

When Dean heard the bedroom door open he whipped around like a predator that had just smelled injured prey. “What took you so long?” he asked.

“I was reading,” Sam said, “and are you really going to ask what took me so long? You’re the one that makes us stay until past six every time we come over here.” Dean frowned and walked toward the staircase without saying a word. Sam smiled to himself; one point for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's the second chapter. I'm working on editing and rewriting the third right now, but it may not be up for a few days. If you spot any errors or have any constructive criticism, please leave a comment. Have a lovely Thanksgiving, readers!


	3. Don't Let Your Brother Hang Out With a Prankster

Sam hesitated. He couldn’t decide between bringing Gabriel’s book to school and reading the last few pages during lunch, or leaving it at home where he was sure it’d be safe. “Sam!” Dean yelled from the hallway. Sam could hear him jangling the Impala’s keys impatiently. He bit his lip and shoved the book into his backpack.

After school, Sam was glad he’d decided to bring Gabriel’s book, because Dean didn’t waste any time stopping at their house before he drove to the Novak’s. Becky greeted them at the door with her over-enthusiastic smile, and Dean and Sam were forced through some uncomfortable small talk before she released them.

Dean abandoned Sam in the hallway again, but two seconds after Cas’ door closed, Gabriel’s opened. “I thought I heard you,” Gabriel said, then he grinned, but it wasn’t his normal grin. It had a manic edge that Sam had never seen before. “You’re early. Did you finish the book?” Sam nodded; he hadn’t been able to put it down. He pulled the book out of his backpack and handed it to Gabriel. “Good,” Gabriel said. “Come in, we have a lot to discuss. I know how to solve your problem.” Then he disappeared into his room. Sam hadn’t felt a sense of foreboding since the first time he walked into Gabriel’s room, but as he stood in the doorway the feeling returned. He felt like a bug walking into a spider’s web, but he took a deep breath, and walked in anyway.

Gabriel was already sitting on his bed, and he waved Sam to his side as soon as he stepped into the room. He started to talk before Sam even sat down. “So, last night I was thinking. Dean drags you over here every day, and you obviously don’t like it, so we’re going to teach him a lesson he won’t forget,” he said.

Sam frowned. “How’re we going to do that?” he asked.

Gabriel held up his book. “Shelby’s going to help us.”

A knot started to form in the bottom of Sam’s stomach. “We’re going to prank him?”

“No, Sammich,” Gabriel said. Sam frowned at the new nickname, but Gabriel didn’t pause. “We’re not going to prank him. We’re going to attack him with pranks. Dozens of them. One after another, all day.” The look on his face reminded Sam of how most kids looked on Christmas morning.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea-”

“Of course it’s a good idea! He won’t want you around me after the pranks, so he’ll have to leave you at home! It’s perfect.”

Sam didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to stop going to the Novak’s house. In the beginning it’d been torture, but after Gabriel tucked him under his metaphorical wing, Sam found himself almost looking forward to the inevitable trip. Gabriel looked at him expectantly, so Sam said, “He’ll kill me. He doesn’t take jokes very well.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take the fall for it. I just need your help with a few things,” Gabriel said. Sam found himself nodding although he didn’t really want to. What was he supposed to do? Say he didn’t want to stay home anymore? Gabriel already thought he was a freak. “Alright, we’re going to need a plan,” Gabriel said as he jumped off his bed and started to rummage through the drawer of bedside table. He pulled out a notebook and a slightly chewed-up pen, then sat back down on the bed. He uncapped the pen and put the cap between his teeth, then he started to scribble furiously. “I’m going to need a little while to come up with all the pranks,” Gabriel said around the cap, “but I have some ideas.” Sam nodded and watched him write. He had to resist the urge to shudder as Gabriel’s plans unfolded in front of him. He made a mental note to never, ever, get on Gabriel’s bad side; he was more than a little scary when he had his mind set on something.

Gabriel planned for the rest of the afternoon. Sam ended up giving him some input, but Gabriel did most of the thinking. Dean called Sam before they could finish a plan, but Gabriel swore he’d finish it that night. Sam nodded and thanked him, then gathered up his stuff and left the room. “What’s got your panties in a twist?” Dean asked as soon as he saw him.

“Nothing,” Sam said. “I’m just tired.” Dean shrugged and lead Sam out of the house, but he refused to let Sam do any of the chores that night.

* * *

True to his word, Gabriel finished the plan that night, but it took him a week to perfect it and gather all the supplies he needed. Sam did what he asked and memorized the plan, but he couldn’t contribute much to the project. He didn’t have access to the resources Gabriel needed, and he wasn’t very good at coming up with ways to pull off pranks, but Gabriel didn’t complain about his presence at all. Instead, he treated Sam like an equal, and Sam only thought higher of him because of it.

“I think we’re ready,” Gabriel said one afternoon as he looked into his closet stuffed with pranking supplies.

“Really?” Sam asked from the beanbag chair. “Do we have everything?”

Gabriel nodded. “I got the last package this morning.”

“Oh.”

If Gabriel heard the twinge of disappointment in Sam’s voice, he ignored it. “This is going to be so great!” he said. “This might be the best pranks I’ve ever planned.” Sam nodded instead of saying anything. “I think we should strike tonight,” Gabriel said.

“Tonight?”

“That’s fine, isn’t it? The sooner we hit, the sooner you get to stay home.”

“Yeah,” Sam said.

“Great,” Gabriel said. He grinned again. “You know what you’re supposed to do, right?” Sam nodded, but Gabriel ripped a page out of his notebook and handed it to Sam. From what he could make out, Sam assumed it was a list of thing he needed to do. “I wrote it out, just in case. We have to do this right the first time, or everything will be ruined,” Gabriel said. Sam tucked the paper in-between the pages of his law book. “This is going to be so great!” Gabriel said again. The dim light of the bedroom reflected off Gabriel’s ultra-white grin and his pupils, giving him the appearance of a mischievous demon. Sam was about to reply when he heard Dean calling for him in the hallway. “Remember what you have to do!”

“I won’t forget,” Sam said. He patted his law book.

“I know you won’t,” Gabriel said. “I’ll see you tonight.”

* * *

Sam’s stomach was tied in knots for the rest of the evening. Without Gabriel by his side to whisper the plans in his ear, his confidence in the project started to take a nosedive. What if his alarm didn’t go off? What if Dean woke up while they were setting up the pranks? What if he screwed something up? By the time Sam went to bed, he was so nervous he was starting to sweat. He set his alarm for one in the morning, then shut his eyes. Instead of sleeping, he tossed and turned until the alarm went off.

Sam rubbed his eyes and climbed out of bed. He felt wide awake. He exchanged his thin nightshirt and sweatpants for warmer clothes, then carefully made his way to the front door. Moments after he got there, two quiet taps resounded from the other side. Sam unlocked the door and let Gabriel in. “Thanks,” Gabriel said. “It’s getting cold out there. Help me with these bags, will you?” Sam took two of the plastic grocery bags from Gabriel’s hands and laid them on the table a few feet from the door. Gabriel followed his example and laid the three bags in his hands next to Sam’s, then he turned back toward the door. “Come on, there’s more in my car,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Sam nodded and followed him outside.

The sweatshirt Sam had decided to wear suddenly seemed too thin as he waited for Gabriel to unlock the trunk of his car. The wind was starting to chase away the warm summer air, and bring in the crisp, cool air autumn was famous for. “Come on, you piece of crap,” Gabriel mumbled.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

“I can’t get the front door to unlock. Give me a second,” Gabriel said, then he walked around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, and climbed inside. A few seconds later the trunk popped open, and Gabriel climbed out of the driver’s side door. “There we go,” he said to himself. “Now, let’s get the bags and go inside. I’m freezing.” Sam followed Gabriel to the trunk, then grabbed three of the bags, leaving Gabriel to get the last two. Gabriel closed the trunk, and they hurried inside.

After they regained the feeling in their fingers, Gabriel took a piece of paper out of his back pocket. “Okay,” he said. “I want to get all this done in one, maybe two hours, tops. Why don’t you start with the bathroom, and I’ll start with the bedroom. When we’re done, we’ll meet again here. This part should only take us a half an hour or so, so you’re going to have to move quickly.” Sam nodded. Gabriel looked into all the bags, then handed Sam two of the heaviest ones. “Be quiet, and don’t put the fish in until morning,” he said. Sam nodded again, took the bags, and headed to the bathroom.

Sam looked over the paper Gabriel had given him that afternoon before he did anything. He’d only been assigned easy pranks, but he was sure he could still find a way to screw it up. He went through the bags as quietly as he could, and put all the supplies he’d only need in the morning to one side, and all the things he needed to set up that night to the other. When he was done organizing the stuff, he rebagged the morning supplies and put it under the sink. Then he got to work. He superglued Dean’s toothbrush and toothpaste together and sprinkled a little bit of itching powder onto his comb. Sam smiled to himself as he unscrewed the shower head, poured a packet of red kool-aid into it, and put it back on. He reread his list and looked over his supplies to see if he’d missed anything, then, when he was satisfied, he threw one of the plastic bags away and walked back to the entry room as quietly as he could.

Gabriel, according to the clock beside the front door, took exactly thirty minutes to set everything up in Dean’s room. Most of the bags had disappeared off the table, but Sam didn’t remember that many pranks being involved with Dean’s room. Sam was starting to feel tired for the first time that night, and when Gabriel saw him yawn he put a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it. “Come on, kiddo. We’re almost done. One last prank, then we’ll get you to bed,” he said.

“I’m not tired,” Sam said, but it sounded like a lie even to his own ears.

“Uh huh,” Gabriel said. He released Sam’s shoulder and grabbed the last two bags off the table. “Where’s the garage?”

The last prank was almost too much. Gabriel assured him that the plastic wrap wouldn’t permanently damage the car, but Dean got furious at Sam if he dropped anything _near_ the Impala, so he wasn’t sure he would take the prank well. “Here,” Gabriel said as he pulled a container of plastic wrap out of one of the bags. “You hold this end, and I’ll wrap it around. Don’t let go.” Sam took the end of the plastic wrap, and Gabriel gleefully unrolled it. A half an hour (and five rolls of plastic wrap) later the Impala was almost unrecognizable. Gabriel stood back and grinned. “Look at it, Samsquatch. Isn’t it beautiful?” he asked as he brushed away fake tears.

“It’s something,” Sam said. Dean was going to murder him.

“Aw, don’t be like that. This is a thing of beauty.”

“I don’t think Dean’s going to feel the same way.”

Gabriel laughed. “That’s the point, isn’t it?” Sam managed a half smile. “Wow, look at the time. You better get back to bed. Remember to get up early to set up the fish. You’ll have to tell me how our pranks went over in the morning. Oh! And make sure you pay special attention to the announcements tomorrow,” Gabriel said, then, before Sam could say a word, Gabriel patted him on the back and slipped off into the night. A few seconds later Sam heard the sound of a car pulling out of the driveway. He yawned and stumbled back to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd here's the third chapter. It was a bit of a filler, sorry. I promise the next chapter will be a little more fun to read, and it should be up in a few days. If you spot any errors or have any constructive criticism, please leave a comment. Have a lovely day, readers.


	4. Don't Let Your Guard Down Around Your Brother

Although he didn’t remember setting it, Sam’s alarm clock woke him up at seven on the dot. He turned over and groaned; he was exhausted, but he still had to get up and finish the last prank before Dean woke up. Sam threw the covers off and stumbled into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and hair, as he did every morning, then he put the stopper in the sink and filled it with lukewarm water. When it was mostly fill, Sam pulled the bag out from under the sink and started to dig around inside it. Gabriel seemed to have bought everything needed for an aquarium, besides the aquarium itself. Sam carefully poured a bag of colored rocks into the bottom of the sink, followed by a few tiny statues and a miniature castle. He saved the goldfish for last. There were three, two standard golden ones, and one white one. Sam did his best to be gentle when he poured the fish into the sink, but two out of the three still managed to flop into the water on their sides despite his best efforts.

There was a honk outside a few seconds after Sam put the last goldfish in the sink. He ignored it at first, when you lived by a highway you tended to get a lot of honks, but then it happened again. The second honk was longer than the first. Sam wiped up the few drops of water that escaped the sink and buried the plastic bag in the trash. The third honk was longer than the last two combined. Sam went to the window, only to see Gabriel’s car parked in the driveway. He closed the curtain and ran out the front door. Gabriel rolled down his window when Sam neared the car. “Hey kiddo. Thought you might want a ride to school. Dean may run a little late today,” he said.

“Um, thanks,” Sam said. He assumed Gabriel was going to leave him to deal with Dean alone, but he wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to avoid him altogether. “Let me grab my backpack.”

Gabriel nodded and Sam headed back toward the house. When he was halfway across the yard Gabriel said, “Oh, and Sam? You might want to put on some shoes too.” Sam looked down at his feet and blushed.

Sam rummaged around his room for a pair of socks, but he couldn’t find a pair that matched for his life. He settled on a white sock and a light grey sock, then slipped his beat-up black tennis shoes over them. No one was going to look at his socks anyway. He checked his appearance in the mirror to make sure he hadn’t forgotten any other vital pieces of clothing, then, when he was satisfied, he grabbed his backpack and walked to the front door. He was about to reach for the doorknob when he heard a voice from the middle of the living room. “Where’re you going so early, Sam?” John asked.

Sam froze. “A friend is giving me a ride to school. I needed to be there a little earlier than normal, and Dean’s still asleep,” he said.

“Do I know this friend?”

“I-I don’t think so. He’s Dean’s friend’s brother. We can trust him.”

“If I’ve never met him,” John said slowly, like he was trying to explain something to a small child, “how do you know you can trust him?”

“Dad, I’m going to be late. I really have to go,” Sam said, but he knew he was fighting a loosing battle. If only he’d gotten out the door a little sooner…

“I need to meet this friend of yours, then you can go to school with him,” John said as he got out of his chair.

“Dad-”

“Are you going to argue with me, Sam? I said I was going to meet him,” John said. He opened the door, put a hand on Sam’s shoulder, and lead him outside. Gabriel was still waiting in his car.

When John and Sam got close to the car, Gabriel rolled his window down again. “Can I help you?” Gabriel asked.

“You’re Sam’s friend?” John asked. Gabriel nodded. “You got a name?”

“Gabriel Novak,” Gabriel said, then he smiled confidently. If John Winchester intimidated him at all, he didn’t show it.

“How do you know my son, Gabriel Novak?” John asked. He tightened his grip on Sam’s shoulder.

“His brother, Dean, brings him over when he studies with my brother, Castiel,” Gabriel said. The confident smile on his face didn’t waver, no matter how much John glared at him.

“And you’re going to take Sam to school?”

Gabriel nodded. “I promise I’ll get him there in one piece,” he said.

John squeezed Sam’s shoulder again, and Sam bit his lip. “I’ll hold you to it,” John said, then he released his grip on Sam. Sam walked over to the passenger side and climbed into the car before John could change his mind. Gabriel rolled up his window and pulled out of the driveway. John watched them until they drove out of sight.

“Protective,” Gabriel said when the house was a few minutes behind them.

Sam hugged his backpack to his chest. “Controlling,” he said.

“He’d just looking out for you,” Gabriel said as he passed a particularly slow car.”I wouldn’t want my kid to get into the car with a stranger either.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” Sam said. Gabriel held up his hands in surrender and dropped the conversation, but even though Sam wasn’t looking at him, he felt Gabriel’s stare on his face a few seconds later.

Gabriel dropped Sam off at the doors to the high school with his trademark grin. “Remember,” he said as Sam climbed out of the car. “Pay special attention to the announcements today.” Then, before Sam could ask why, Gabriel pulled away. Sam shrugged and walked inside the school with his backpack slung over one shoulder and a half-smile on his face.

Sam had a hard time paying attention in his first hour class. The teacher was going over something they’d already talked about a hundred times, and the tone of his voice was practically begging his students to fall asleep. Sam looked out the window and thought about Dean. He was increasingly glad Gabriel’d decided to pick him up; he was sure Dean was beyond furious by now. Five minutes before the end of class, the announcements came on. The announcer, a peppy junior named Shylee Cliver, brought some life back into the stagnant class. “Goooooood morning Lions! It’s time for the Pledge of Allegiance,” Shylee said. Sam mumbled along with everyone else, then sat back down. “Tonight there’s a girl’s basketball game in the gym at seven o’clock sharp! Come out and support out Lionesses! In other news, I’d like to congratulate Dean Winchester on his published poem, Teardrops. I have a copy sitting in front of me, and it’s very touching. Good job, Dean! Today the cafeteria is offering chef salads or hamburgers, but the pizza bar will be open too. I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of chef salad left over. Well, that’s it for the announcements this morning. Have a grrrrrreat day, Lions!” Shylee said. Everyone in the class turned to look at Sam, then they all burst into laughter. “No one told me Dean was so sensitive!” someone called. The teacher tried to calm everyone down, but his own face was red from containing his laughter. Sam had to bury his face in his arms to hide his grin.

The bell rang before the teacher could calm everyone down, and once the students were in the hallway laughter spread like wildfire. Sam pushed through groups of giggling girls and boys in uncontrollable fits of laughter to get to his locker, but when he got there Gabriel was leaning against it with a huge, satisfied grin stretched across his face. “Pretty good, huh?” he asked when Sam got close enough to hear him over the roar of the other students.

“Dean’s going to murder you,” Sam said, but he couldn’t keep a smile off his face.

“Come on, that was funny,” Gabriel said. He pushed himself off Sam’s locker. Sam stepped up and spun his combination. “Now all I have to do is start giving out the poems.”

“You actually have poems?” Sam asked. He traded his math book for his literature book and closed his locker.

“Of course I do. Stole it from Anna’s room, changed a few things to make it sappier, printed out a hundred copies, and viola! Instant embarrassment.”

Sam frowned. “Anna?” he asked.

“One of my younger sisters.”

“Won’t she be upset?”

“Nah,” Gabriel said. “She’ll act mad, but really, she’ll be happy. The whole school’s going to read her poem.”

The hallway was starting to clear out. Sam guessed he only had a minute or so before the bell rang. “Good luck with the poems,” he said.

Gabriel winked mischievously. Sam turned to go, but he only managed a few steps before someone grabbed his arm from behind. He turned around, only to find Gabriel holding out a sheet of slightly crumpled paper. “Here,” he said. “I think you should read your brother’s poem.” Sam took the paper and tucked it into his pocket, but when he looked up again Gabriel was gone. The bell rang when Sam was only halfway to his next class.

Literature was boring. His teacher was droning on about the six steps of writing an essay, but the poem in Sam’s pocket ignited his curiosity, making it impossible to listen to the lesson. Finally, twenty minutes before class was over, Sam couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket as quietly as he could and unfolded it under the desk. The poem itself wasn’t very long, but the first line was so sappy it almost made Sam sick to his stomach. It was something about blue eyes, too precious to be filled with hurt, yadda yadda yadda. The last few lines were even worse than the first, and Sam shuddered as he shoved the paper back into his pocket. He couldn’t help but wonder how much of the original poem Gabriel changed.

Sam didn’t see Dean the entire school day, but everywhere he turned someone was talking about his brother or reading “his” poem. Sam was followed by snickers and rude comments, but he knew it was ten times worse for Dean, and he started to feel guilty. Dean may’ve deserved a little itching powder in his underwear, or even the sink aquarium, but Sam wondered if Gabriel had taken it too far. He resolved to talk about it the next time he saw Gabriel, but, curiously, Gabriel managed to avoid him for the rest of the day.

When the last bell rang Sam was torn. He didn’t exactly want to go out and ask Dean for a ride after everything he’d helped Gabriel do to him, but he didn’t want to mooch another ride off Gabriel either. He hovered by his locker for a few minutes, then mustered up all his courage and walked out to the parking lot. Dean was parked in the same spot he always parked in. Every scrap of plastic wrap was gone, but the Impala had a new ornament. Gabriel was leaning against the hood, talking to a very pissed off Dean. Sam kept his distance until Dean flipped Gabriel off, jumped into the car, and pulled away. Sam watched him go with a frown. He obviously wasn’t getting home that way. Gabriel spotted him and walked over with a slightly guilty grin. “You’re going to come home with me to give Dean some time to cool down. He said he was going to come over later to pick you up, but he needed a little time to, and I quote, ‘clean up the damn fish’,” Gabriel said.

“Did you apologize?” Sam asked.

“Rule one of pranking, Sambone: never apologize,” Gabriel said with a wink. “We didn’t do any permanent damage, so he’ll have to forgive you eventually.”

“You don’t know my brother,” Sam said. “The first time we’re alone he’s going to kill me.”

“I’m not going to let him kill you. He can try to kill me, if he wants to, but I told him this was all my idea. He’s going to hate me too much to even think about you,” Gabriel said. “Now come on, let’s get out of here.”

Going to the Novak house without Dean was weird. Becky greeted them at the door, and although she was surprised to see Sam without Dean, she assured him she was delighted to have him back. Gabriel answered a few questions about his day, pecked Becky on the cheek, then escaped to his room with Sam in tow. “Make yourself comfortable,” Gabriel said once they were safe behind his closed door. “I’m going to warn Cassie about Dean’s mood.” Sam nodded and sat in the beanbag chair. He pull his science book out of his backpack and started to work on one of the questions the teacher assigned a few seconds before class ended. He only managed to finish the first question before Gabriel walked back into the room. “I’d, uh, avoid Cassie for awhile. I don’t think he’s very happy with us,” Gabriel said.

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Great. By the end of the day everyone in your house is going to hate me,” Sam said.

“Not Dad,” Gabriel said. “He loves everyone.” The expression on Sam’s face made Gabriel backtrack. “Not everyone. I won’t hate you,” he said as he sat on the end of his bed.

“You can’t hate me,” Sam said. “You did most of the pranks.”

“True,” Gabriel said, “but even if I didn’t I still wouldn’t hate you. You’re my favorite Winchester.”

The tips of Sam’s ears turned red and he looked down at the book in his lap. “There aren’t many to choose from,” he mumbled.

Gabriel laughed. “You’re right. Maybe I’m biased,” he said, then he was quiet. Sam tried to focus on his science homework, but with Gabriel in the room it was like trying to do homework in the middle of a tornado. Finally, after struggling on a normally-easy problem for fifteen minutes, Sam closed his book and put it back in his backpack. Gabriel had his laptop out, and every once in awhile he’s grin at the screen, but even though he stayed silent he radiated energy. He tapped his fingers on the edge of the keyboard and played with the cord connected to the laptop. Sam started to read Gabriel’s posters, but he was distracted by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. People passed Gabriel’s room every so often, but Sam recognized the sound of heavy boots. Dean. Apparently, Gabriel did too. He set his laptop aside, jumped off his bed, and stuck his head out the door. When the sound of footsteps faded Gabriel pulled his head back into the room, and the first thing Sam noticed was his tell-tale mischievous grin.

“What?” Sam asked.

“Dean just disappeared into Cassie’s room, and he still looked pretty mad,” Gabriel said.

“Then why are you smiling?”

“I bet Cassie will help his relieve some of that anger,” Gabriel said, then he winked dramatically to drive his point home.

Sam paled. “Gabriel! Ew!” he said. That was definitely _not_ something he wanted to think about. Gabriel laughed and pulled his laptop back into his lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments I got on the last chapter. You guys are the best. The final chapter should be up in a few days. As always, if you spot any mistakes or have any constructive criticism, feel free to leave a comment. Have a lovely day, readers.


	5. Don't Expect Your Brother to Forgive You

“What time is it?” Sam asked for the hundredth time.

“Five minutes since the last time you asked,” Gabriel said. Sam frowned to himself. They usually left late, but Dean was taking even longer than usual. Sam did his best to banish all thoughts of what Dean and Cas could be doing that would take so long, but every time he caught Gabriel’s eye he’d make a lewd comment or wink, then all the thoughts would rush back in.

Finally, at half past seven Sam heard the sound of Dean’s boots in the hallway again. “Sam? It’s time to go. We’re already late,” Dean said. Sam swore Dean’s voice was huskier than normal, and Gabriel seemed to notice too.

“What did I tell you?” Gabriel asked as Sam gathered up all his stuff. “He had to get rid of all that pent up frustration somehow.”

Sam’s face colored. “Shut up Gabriel,” he said, but Gabriel just laughed at him.

Dean called for Sam again, and Gabriel stopped laughing. “If you don’t come with Dean tomorrow, I’ll know our plan worked,” he said.

Sam frowned down at his backpack. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said.

“No need to sound so happy,” Gabriel said, but when Sam looked at him, he wasn’t smiling either. Sam pushed his last book into his backpack and zipped it up. “You better go before he beats down my door.”

Sam nodded, then picked his backpack up by one of the straps and walked toward the door. He put his hand on the doorknob, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn it. “Bye Gabriel,” he said, turning just enough to see Gabriel’s face.

“Bye kiddo,” Gabriel said. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Sam stepped into the hallway.

Dean was leaning against the wall beside the door, but he looked different. He hair was messier than Sam remember it being, and his clothes were even more rumpled than they usually were. Sam braced himself for Dean’s anger, but he just smiled and ruffled Sam’s hair. “Took you long enough. Let’s go,” he said. Sam followed him without a word. He probably couldn’t have spoken if he wanted to; his mind was filled with the mentally-scarring images of Dean “getting rid of his pent up frustration” with Castiel, and that was enough to shut anyone up.

The ride home was quiet, but after Dean parked the Impala in the garage he started to talk. “You know,” he said as he turned the Impala off, “you and Gabriel aren’t the only ones who can come up with pranks. I’d watch my back if I were you.” Then, before Sam could come up with a reply, Dean took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car. Sam watched his walk inside the house with a sense of dread pooling in his gut. He just hoped Gabriel was the only one really good at coming up with pranks in the Novak household.

* * *

After school the next day, Dean drove back to the house instead of driving directly to the Novak house. Sam’s heart sank. He’d still been harboring a small hope that Dean would take him back to the Novak’s despite everything that happened. As soon as the Impala was parked, Sam grabbed his backpack and walked to his room. He unloaded his textbooks onto the end of his bed, and he was just about to start his math homework when Dean walked in. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Homework,” Sam said.

“What? Why? We have to leave,” Dean said.

Sam looked up in surprise. “What?” he asked.

“Castiel’s waiting for me,” Dean said. “We’re going to be late.”

“Wait,” Sam said. His mind worked furiously to wrap itself around what Dean was saying. “We’re going to the Novak house?”

“Yes? I had to grab a book,” Dean said. He looked at Sam strangely. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I… I just thought you didn’t want me around Gabriel anymore.”

“I don’t, but I can’t leave you here either. Now come on!” Dean said, then he turned around and walked away. Sam jumped off the floor and followed him.

Becky greeted them at the door with her usual smile and awkward questions. Dean smiled back and answered her questions as quickly as he could, then they escaped to the second floor. Dean knocked on Castiel’s door and a few seconds later it swung open. Dean stepped inside, then the door started to close. Sam saw a flash of angry blue eyes before it closed completely, and he had to fight the urge to shiver. He’d have to remember to avoid Castiel for awhile.

Sam hesitated in front of Gabriel’s door for a few minutes before he gave up and sat on the floor. He didn’t know whether he should knock on the door or not, the whole plan had been to get rid of him, after all, but then Gabriel’s door opened and the blonde stuck his head out. When his gaze settled on Sam a huge grin exploded over his face. “Look who’s back,” he said. “You know, I do have a beanbag chair you can use. It’s probably more comfortable than the floor.” Sam smiled back and walked into Gabriel’s room. He sat in the beanbag chair and sighed; it was just as comfortable as it had been the first time he sat in it. “I guess out plan didn’t work,” Gabriel said as he sat down on the end of his bed.

“I think it backfired. Dean said he and Castiel were going to get revenge on us,” Sam said.

Gabriel laughed. “Did he now? Well, Sambo, I can’t let that happen. I’m the Trickster,” he said. He cracked his knuckles and pulled a notebook off his bedside table. “Get over here,” he said, then he grinned. “We have a lot of work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here, my lovely readers, is the last chapter of this fic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, if you find any errors or have any constructive criticism, please leave a comment. Have a lovely day.


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